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“If I could get the company back on track, we could change that.”
I supposed that was why he was working so hard. He felt like he was failing dad and me, but also all the people who worked for us.
“Take care of yourself, Ben. Please.” Because I didn’t want to get into any more discussion about his drinking, I left it at that and walked out of the office.
15
Ash – Friday
I was right that Beth didn’t have much interest in seeing me again. She’d basically fallen off the face of the earth since I’d last seen her. It hurt, but more than that, it baffled me. It wasn’t like she hadn’t wanted to be with me. She’d been willing and responsive to me once she let her guard down. Hell, she’d taken control and gone down on me, and holy fuck, what a mouth she had. But then right after, she was back to cool and distant Beth.
Shaking my head to clear thoughts of her, I refocused on the job at hand. I was working with Hunter on beefing up the technical aspects of the security systems we used at all of our properties. My father made a big deal of the thefts, but the truth was, the dollar value hadn’t been much. The hit to our ego was the real damage. So I was helping Hunter and his team ensure that no one could get past our security again. My first passion had been computer programming, so I was always happy to work with Hunter on computerized security systems.
I was just finishing up some code when my cell phone rang. Checking the number, it was the forensic accountant I’d hired to look into McAdams Enterprises’ finances.
“Hey Pat, what have you got for me?” I asked when I picked up.
“Hi, Ash. Well, despite your hefty payment for Jet, the McAdam’s business is still in trouble. Rumor is Ben is planning to declare bankruptcy. He’s selling as much as he can, but the creditors have hit their limit and are calling in the debts.”
Fuck. I couldn’t imagine how hard that was for him and Beth.
“Look, I know you said to stay out of their private lives—”
“And I meant it,” I said. It felt too much like stepping over the line to invade their personal privacy.
“They’re liquidating their personal real estate too.”
Did I need to know that? In some ways, real estate was a business too.
“They’ve already sold a penthouse in the upper west side, a home in the Hamptons, and a couple of brownstones and apartments. I wonder if the old man had a few women stashed away.”
That was more than I needed to know. “I don’t need to know about old man McAdams.”
“There is a hotel in the Hamptons still, and a townhome that just went up for sale. It’s the last privately held piece of real estate. It’s a nice one too. Six stories near Central Park. Five bedrooms, rooftop solarium, back garden, elevator… and it’s a steal at thirty million. The old man bought it for forty-five million ten years ago.”
“Sales for fancy townhomes have gone down,” I said, but even so, that was a big loss they were taking.
“True. But he’s wanting to sell fast. They were behind on payments—”
“I don’t need to know that.”
“Well, they’re caught up now, probably thanks to your purchase.”
I sat back in my chair, my mind whirling. I wanted to help them, even though they probably didn’t want my help. “Thanks for this Pat. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime, Ash.”
When we hung up, I immediately called my real estate agent. “Hi Barb, I want to buy the townhome over on east eighty-eighth owned by the McAdams. But I don’t want my name or the Raven name on it.”
“Will do,” she said.
“I think it’s priced to sell, but I want to know what the market value is.”
“I’ll work the comps and get them to you this afternoon,” she said. “Should I send them to your office or home?”
“Office. And if any other McAdams properties come up on the market, I want to hear about them as well. Same thing. Full comps.”
“If an offer goes in on the east eighty-eighth before I get the comps, do you want to know?” she asked me.
“Yes. That’s the priority. I want to buy it. Make sure no one gets it even if you have to make an offer.”
“How much do you want me to add on?” she asked.
“Offer full price if the other offer is lower, and up by one million increments.”
“Any max?”
“No max. I want that townhome,” I said, wanting her to understand that price didn’t matter.
“You’ve got it.”
When I hung up, I found Hunter standing at the front of my desk. He stared at me with one brow lifted.
“What’s the deal with the McAdams place?” he asked.
I shrugged, not wanting to get into my personal life with my brother. “They’re having some financial issues and I want to help.”
